Editor’s note: Lovefraud received the following story from a reader who we’ll call “Jenna.” At the end, she posts a document written by her sociopathic ex about the price of his soul, which provides a unnerving glimpse into how he truly thinks. Names have been changed.
I have spent the last 18 years dealing with a classic sociopath, a man who lies beyond my wildest imagination. I have come to believe that he isn’t just evil that is too easy an explanation. Evil people can’t help themselves; they can be “born bad.” No, this man chooses to be sadistic and mentally cruel. He can be “nice” when he wants to. He has a now four-year-old granddaughter who adores him and thinks her “Papa” hung the moon. If she ever sees on her own what he is, he will be her first broken heart.
He calculates his moves and sets up his victims over a long period of time — feeding off one woman after another, using the exact same pattern, until they no longer are sating his appetite for whatever it is he hungers for money, respect, ego gratification. I have never met anyone like this before. He enjoys what seems to have been his life’s work. He often said he “didn’t like women or children.” I should have listened.
I met him through work in April 1992. I was 44 years old, attractive and I thought relatively intelligent. My boss knew him from a previous job, considered him an associate, and brought him in to do some computer consulting. Looking back, my first impression was that he was focusing on me, trying to impress me. I should have heeded my bells and listened to my first impressions. He was knowledgeable about everything, charming, and I realize now he talked only about himself, his business plans, his big ideas. Going for lunches developed into a relationship. He was never pushy or all over me just the opposite.
Moves in
He moved in with me on January 2, 1993 after I had broken off with him because I thought he was playing me. I went away that Christmas alone, and when I came home, he was ensconced in my home, with the fireplace burning, two dozen long-stemmed red roses, a bottle of wine and a six-page handwritten letter about what a fool he had been and how much he “loved” me. The fool was me; I let him stay.
I had been on my own for a long time so I tried to establish some beginning boundaries. The first year we were together, he had to pay half the rent and half the living expenses, but slowly that morphed into us having joint accounts, and making decisions as a couple.
Within two months, he would fall asleep on the couch watching TV. I worked, he didn’t. He was trying to build a consulting business, but I think he did nothing most days. I’d come home and he’d be busy doing dishes that he had obviously just started, so it would look like he was busy.
No sex
Within six months, he withdrew sex. “I don’t know why” was his stock answer to every attempt to work through this. I thought maybe he had problems so I backed off and learned to live without a normal and healthy love life. It was step one in completely undermining my own self confidence, self image and willingness to walk away. I was mature, had not been committed enough to really work at previous relationships, so my mindset was, “I love this man and I am going to work at this.”
In 1994 he got a job that lasted four months. He talked me into starting my own business and I did freelance accounting. When he was fired from his job I was never able to find out why, but they let him go on a Tuesday and paid him only to the end of that day, which had to mean just cause. Knowing what I know now, no doubt he was inappropriate with female staff or maybe even male staff, because now I wonder about everything. Nothing was as it seemed.
August 1996 and he has just started his second job lasted six months, during which, I find out, he has been having an affair with the receptionist. He moved out March 1997 and came back begging me to give him another chance in May, saying he was nothing without me; he might as well go live on “skid row” because he would never be able to get off the couch again if I wouldn’t take him back. We had a business to consider he reminded me. He made love to me four times during the “take me back” stage. Soon as he was safely back, sex stopped, but he did come to bed at night. In later years, he would sleep in the living room, on the couch every night, in his clothes and only came downstairs to get a change of underwear, knowing that hurt me and was the exact opposite of what I wanted.
In business together
Over the years this scenario was repeated. In 17 years he held down four jobs, all of which lasted max six months. He talked me into going into business with him and we are 50% shareholders in a small home-based business that supported us from 1999 onward. I am seriously living to regret this, as I divorce and try to extricate myself from him. He talked on the phone a lot, and I did all the heavy lifting.
I had my life savings, which wasn’t much, but it bought us the home I live in now. We moved here in 1999. Yet another “job” he had, this time contracted through our company. He lasted five months in what was supposed to be a five-year contract.
I have to say that the privacy act and employer’s unwillingness to share information is a tremendous handicap to women in my position. Even as 50% owner of the company, no one is willing to tell the truth. If any one of the people who saw through him, anywhere along the line, had had the courage to tell me what my husband was up to, it would have opened my eyes. I was getting his side of the story only, and his best skill is, he is a honed and practiced liar. No matter how suspicious or concerned or questioning I might be, he could talk himself out of it, so I’d wind up giving him the “benefit of the doubt.”
Job in Florida
On April 21, 2009 my husband (he wanted to get married in 2003) left “on business” to take a consulting job in Florida. When he left, I prayed that this would be make it or break it. My health and spirit were so broken that his decision to take this job was almost a relief.
A month after he was gone I began to feel better physically, but such was my commitment to my marriage that I actually said out loud, what worried me was he would want to come back, and I wouldn’t want him to. I would feel obligated to take him back, even though I knew I was living in a toxic relationship. A counselor said to me afterwards that if you have a kind heart, cut people some slack and believe in God, and in doing unto others, you are custom made for this type of predator. They count on it! Your decency and your ability to love and forgive are the very tools they use against you.
First month, he web-cammed daily while I helped him get set up, furnish his apartment and paid his bills. He phoned me 10 times a day on his way down to Florida, saying how much he missed me already.
Cheating
The lies kept up until June 27, 2009 when he avoided an opportunity to web-cam home to see our 3-year old Granddaughter who was visiting. Everything began to add up. I spent all day July 1, 2009 trying to figure out how to hire a private detective in Florida. Turns out he had put himself on a dating site within three weeks of arriving there, and he had “grown an inch” from the time he left here. By August he was on Craig’s list as well and had grown yet another inch!
I had to take control of our business servers and over the course of the next few months I received emails from two women, who came after the one the private investigator filmed him with. His story to them he had been a widower for 40 years, had raised his two girls alone, his wife had been tragically killed in a car accident, t-boned when his youngest was just 2 months old. He had sacrificed himself to raise his daughters. Turned out I wasn’t the dead wife he was speaking of he was actually referring to his first wife, who is alive and well and who is still married to the man who really helped her raise the children.
Second woman who contacted me, did so because she had been told I was his “cousin” and I “worked for him” and she wanted to know if I was going to be helping her learn how to work for him. Both the women who contacted me were kind enough to send me the “ads” they answered, and photos of themselves and one even send me photos of them together, which I could have lived without.
My honesty saved the two women who connected with me, but every woman who crosses his path is at risk. I have come to see that he is like a reverse serial rapist. It is all about power and control, and once he assesses what you want and need most from him, in my case, warmth, love and affection, he withholds that from you. He apparently was quite lustful with the women he met on line and I wonder now, who was he cheating on me with during the 10 years we’ve been in this town? A man doesn’t go from being celibate for 17 years to suddenly being active. I now consider it a gift that he didn’t touch me at least I know my health isn’t at risk.
The document
Interestingly enough, in the “document” you read below, the woman referred to as “Marsha” is in fact his first wife (you know, the one who wasn’t killed in a car accident). The second woman he mentions, is the woman he cheated on “Marsha” with and left Marsha for. It would seem that none of us who came after mattered at all.
I found this document while searching his computer using the word “university” because he claimed to have a Bachelor of Commerce degree and I wanted to share that with my lawyer. This document, written by him on Oct. 1, 2005 at 7:30 pm, popped up. His oldest daughter’s birthday. The night after my 58th birthday. Two years and one month to the day after our marriage, and two months before he would “set me up” by putting me as sole director of our company, which as it turns out, has backfired on him, but it was part of a long-term plan he had and was slowly working on, a trap that would be used when he was ready to spring it.
I can tell you that when I opened this document, it embarrassed me to read it. I never knew this man at all. I have no doubt that I was in my office working, or making dinner, or cleaning up after dinner, while he sat in his office writing this. I can tell you that knowing what I know now, he doesn’t have “a soul to sell.”
I’m weeks away from my divorce being final. He has fought me every step of the way, threatening me, filing lawsuits against the company, using the business and my fear of losing my home and what little security I have left. He has harassed both me and my lawyers, gone out of his way to increase my legal fees, hoping to break me. He represents himself, and at every turn is foxier and more cunning than one could ever believe. Normal does not apply. I wonder what the women before me went through and know in my heart, they went through exactly what I am going through. I can’t wait to get rid of his last name legally.
He threw away his life and I need to be punished for that. I wasn’t supposed to find out. I was supposed to continue in the role I had played, the easily conned wife who kept knocking herself out trying to make her marriage work, while he kept his options open and explored for greener fields.
PS: Job in Florida lasted four months, then they let him go. I have no doubt he is trolling for his next food source as I write.
The Price of My Soul
- To return to Easter, 1956 when my parents moved.
- To have all of the knowledge that I have now and have had in the past.
- To be popular with both boys and girls. At school, in clubs and all other parts of my life.
- To excel in sports without injury, particular in hockey, track, football and baseball. To be good enough in football, baseball and track to attract quality athletic scholarships.
- To excel in school without undue effort. To receive the highest marks in every subject, to effortlessly complete all homework and assignments. To receive the highest possible marks on all tests and examinations. To be the valedictorian in both High School, University. To be first in my class in Graduate School.
- To have the inherent ability to make the right and correct choices regarding education, finance, investments and career.
- To be attractive, fit and athletic for my entire life. To live well in to my 90s and to be happy, contented and satisfied with my life. To die with no regrets.
- To never smoke or partake of non-prescription drugs. To always drink alcohol responsibly and never get drunk or impaired.
- To never have an illness and to be immune from all disease.
- To be hardworking, focused and disciplined. To be courteous to everyone. To be calm, soft-spoken and fair. To have, and experience, no prejudice.
- To be unusually attractive to all women, of legal age, regardless of age, race, color, marital status or religious beliefs. To have the inherent ability to communicate my interest to a particular woman and to have her feel a tingle in her loins and know that, by overtly contacting me, she will experience the most satisfying sexual encounter that is it possible to have.
- To have the inherent ability to bring women to the deepest orgasm possible at my whim and thought. To do so, if I wish, just by touch, by stroking, or by any other means that I wish. To have women become addicted to sexual relations with me. To be completely uninhibited in sex and to have each of my partners wish to be willing to try anything. To be able to bring my partners to orgasm orally, anally, vaginally and any other way I choose. To have them long for each way. To be able to bring women to multiple orgasms, including ejaculation, and to be able to experience multiple ejaculations, myself, within minutes of each other. To never lose this ability until my death.
- To never, either myself or a chosen sexual partner, experience a jealous husband, fiancé, lover or friend. To never end a sexual relationship in any way other than as enduring friends.
- To have women become so addicted to my sexual prowess and their satisfaction that they will do anything that I wish to continue the relationship. To have them recommend me to their women friends and to have those friends join us in the relationship.
- To have this attraction begin from the moment of puberty and, until I am of legal age, to have these relationships with women older than myself.
- To have these women pay me for my company until I have graduated from school and have become a wealthy person. It would be my expectation that, beginning at 13 years of age, I would earn $100 per week from each of my lovers and that I would have five lovers. I would expect my income to increase with each year until legal age.
- To have the inherent ability to save my money and to invest in the most profitable manner. To always know the correct time to buy stocks, bonds or other investments and to always know when to sell at the maximum profit. To never make a losing investment.
- To always know the correct time to create a new company or service and to always know the correct time to sell the investment. To never lose money in this manner. To always have prior knowledge of startup companies and to know which ones will succeed and which ones will fail. To always know the optimum time to cash in the investment.
- To be financially well of by the age of 18. To be a millionaire by the age of 20. To be a multi-millionaire by the age of 25. To be a billionaire by the age of 30 and to be the richest man in the world by the age of 40. To remain so until my death.
- To be asked to mingle in the highest levels of society all over the world. To be politically astute and to have political influence worldwide.
- To never marry and to never have children. To die, peacefully and happy, having left a legacy of both deeds and money that will be invested for good. To have planned those investments so that they will never stop working for good.
- To have several loving relationships during my lifetime. To love deeply and be loved deeply. One of those relationships is to be with Marsha Jackson and the other with Susan Morris. Both are to be deeply satisfying for everyone involved but are not to be monogamous on my part. As in other relationships, they will be so satisfied that they will want to share me with their female family members and friends.
- To be an outstandingly accomplished dancer. To be able to bring a women to climax just by whispering in her ear while dancing. To be able to engage in a conversation, with a woman, about absolutely anything. To have her feel no offense at the most intimate of conversations and comments. To be able to bring her to climax during those conversations.
- To be appreciative and knowledgeable of the arts. To be an engaging and interesting speaker. To have an inherent ability to lead people in the direction I choose for them to go. To always do so for good, never evil.
- To be truly satisfied and happy in everything that I do. Especially in each and every sexual relationship that I have. To be able to give the deepest possible pleasure to my partner and, in turn, to receive the same.
Warrior:
RAH, RAH, kick some ass……BUT FIRST….ya gotta step into the ring baby!
It’s hard….it sucks, it’s emotional, its’ scary, it’s life changing, it’s undermining…..and not easy.
You must confront your fears HEAD ON! You can’t hide from them, you can’t negate them…..you just gotta walk right into that fire of hell….for now.
Trust in yourself. Trust in your future.
Our futures change….every day. There are NO guarentees in life, whether we have a partner or not….we can only rely on ourselves.
You came to this country by yourself…..you did it…….you can NOW continue to live relying on YOU.
Your a smart woman, you CAN do this.
IF you choose to crumble, you’ll crumble.
If you want to go back to a bad relationship, go……but go with your eyes open.
We can’t dwell on what we never had. What you had was YOU….respect ansd take care of the you part.
I think your fear is coming from the ‘unknown’ and continuing to rely on others to ‘fix’ your situation.
Your attorney…..if you don’t understand something, research it yourself…..THEN ask your attorney.
Your therapist….only YOU know what you live. WHo in the hell is she to tell you you may not be ‘ready’? What does THAT mean? Go back?
If he claims he pays $900 for food…..WELL REQUEST THE RECEIPTS….does it show that on his cc statements?
Same goes for everything expense wise….request receipts….as it’s an unreasonable amount at best….and at least it shows a grave misuse of assets, when he can’t pafford support.
I’d go with what your attorney suggests as far as keeping the hearing…..
Your falling apart with the terror of being alone????? UH, may I remind you you’ve been alone for what, over 2 years? Don’t romanticize this situation. You are doing FINE alone…..the only thing that changes with the ‘legal’ divorece is that you can run off and file taxs single and get married.
It’s NO different than how you’ve been living in reent years.
‘No freinds/family and I feel so insecure out thee in the world.’
I must ask you……about the above statement…..SO WHAT ARE YA GONNA DO ABOUT IT?
If you find a problem, find a solution. Otherwise we remain a victim.
Did you read my article on finding your adamant? If not…..Please…..it was posted on LF.
I too had never let people get close to me…..I too lost all my family in the past years…..
So….I went out and MADE friends, forced myself to have coffee, invite peeps over, meet for movies, drinks……until I enjoyed it. I enjoy giving to my friends and I enljoy the support they provide me.
If you choose to hermit….you’ll have no friends.
The ‘meeting’ between parties is for settlement puposes….your going to have to settle this at some point, either prior….OR in front of the judge. VERY RARE these go to trial…..judges FORCE the parties to settle.
I’ve told you before, you must go for the moon and settle with the stars.
Go into this meeting with all guns loaded KNOWING and clear on what you WANT!
I get the impression you believe it’s NOT okay to be nervous…..ofcourse it’s a normal feeling! Don’t fight normal.
But….don’t let it dictate your moves. Overpower the outward feeling….self control, self determination.
DON”T CRUMBLE……what good will that do ya! Come on girl….knotch it up.
Go out THIS weekend and MAKE one new friend!!!!
Oxy,
I get all of the above intellectually, but emotionally I am retarded. And funny what you said about Valium. Never took it before–I just don’t feel strong.
Talked to atty on phone. The other side is pushing for a proposal, and he’s pushing for a proposal. He’s not advising me about this or that, not interested in sorting out details about the affidavit or any “small” questions. Just wants me to go in at pre-trial with a proposal, period. Let the judge call it yes or no, or try to propose to H. before court and see what he says.
I wonder if trying to settle with H. before pre-trial is like “showing my cards” so he knows how to counterargue? Whereas if he doesn’t know that I have a fin. planner, or what her proposal and justification is, then he has no time to prepare a counterproposal. And the judge may be influenced by a professionally argued and defended proposal.
Not sure. I’ll wait to get planner’s help and hope it makes sense.
ARRGH I hate the suspense, the anticipation, the anxiety.
Dear Dancing warrior,
Darling, I KNOW THE “INTELLECTUALLY GET IT BUT EMOTIONALLY NOT” routine! Boy, do I EVER know that one.
I would ask the attorney and the planner to give you their best professional opinions on how to go about proposal or not. Just be sure and remind them they are NOT dealing with a reasoanble man, but a con man. Take their advice and then no matter how it goes, do NOT SECOND GUESS YOURSELF and say “oh, I SHOULD HAVE done ……” Once the decision is made and the cards are played, don’t look BACK! Accept the verdict then move on.
The NOT KNOWING is the hardest. (((Hugs)))))
Dancing Warrior,
What you describe, “INTELLECTUALLY GET IT BUT EMOTIONALLY NOT” is the hardest thing to deal with for me too.
That’s your inner-child wanting to be loved and taken care of and not knowing how to get it from YOU, so it’s looking outside YOU.
So until I can actually achieve that (and we MUST continue to work on it), I find ways to “trick” my inner child into feeling safe. But I don’t let myself forget that these are tricks I’m using just so I can keep moving and working on the real issues. Doing things for yourself, working out, fixing your hair, comfort food or health food (whichever makes you feel better). Taking control. Being around positive people is a big one, that helps me.
The LF board. All these things help calm that scared inner child.
Remember that even when you were with your xP you were actually already alone. Even worse, you were alone and facing the devil. But you did it and you survived. It can only get better now because that anchor around your neck is gone. Now all your efforts for survival will not be sabotaged. You know how to survive and you’ve got the LF medal to prove it. be brave.
Hi ErinB, saw your message.
Ah, the small little detail I forgot–to step into the ring. To walk into the FIRE OF HELL.
I was all mixed up in my head and feelings. Like a car spinning out of control, it doesn’t matter that you’re holding onto the wheel and want to stay on the road.
I’m keeping the legal course going to the bitter end, but along the way, the demons of loneliness, fear of being abandoned and not loved, are screaming at me, and my mind plays nasty games as it pulls me in “the good times”, “the security” fantasy, and the guilt goes on high volume shouting you didn’t try hard enough, and self-doubt frowning you’re such a loser, you’ll be all alone and punished for all this, serves you right to rock the boat, you had a good home and family, now what.
Bah…I can go nuts.
THAT’s why it’s been hard to put on the gloves and step into the ring full force. I shrink back. Run in the corner and think I did tehe wrong thing and won’t make it.
But I will one day at a time. I will slowly get that one more friend, I’m sure.
Thanks ErinB, and Oxy…appreciate your care.
Shrinking back is easy…it’s what we know….
Okay you mastered that…..get on with it…..next!
Would you take basic math over and over if you signed up for school again?
Would you repeat the 10th grade 6 times over and over? NO, you mastered that…..and your ready for the next level.
This is the next level.
Your already doing it……acknowledge it to yourself….feel it, smell it, breathe it…..
Are you dead? NO…..you did it! You did it today, you will do it tomorrow, and ethe next week and the next week……until you look back in a few years and say….DAMN, why did I fret so much!!!
I remember when I found out spath took kids to pot farm…..It NEVER occured to me, even then he was a drug dealer…..I was so focused on WHAT he did to expose my kids to illegal acts…the harm, the lies etc….it NEVER OCCURED TO ME WHAT WAS REALLY GOING ON!
I look at that now and think….BOINK….Hellloooo EB.
Okay….looking at it now, rationally…..how couldn’t I have thought he was a dealer…..
I was still stanking in the firel…..it wasn’t until I stepped out of the flames I couldn see it clearly…..DUHHHH.
You’ll do fine….NEVER DOUBT YOURSELF!
Dear Dancing Warrior,
You didn’t have ANYTHING worthwhile when you were with the psychopath, even if you were millionaires and lived in a mansion with 100 servants. Look at Tiger Wood’s wife. What did she have? A CHEATING LYING PIECE OF CARP AND A BIG HOUSE..well, even if she had left with NOTHING EXCEPT HER KIDS, she would still have been better off than in the mansiion with the POS (piece of chit!) for a “husband.”
If all you walk away with is your dignity YOU WIN! Even if you are naked and hungry, you still win in the things that count!
Skylar, Yes, this separation is shaking up everything for me, and the scared kid comes out very loud. I am trying to be brave. All the self-nourishing things you described sound right. Minus reaching out to make new friends–very hard, also I live in an isolated area, mostly families/country/suburbia. Always feel I’m a burden and a pain in the ass if I share my troubles with a g/f. And all are married or attached so I stick out like a sore thumb now.
I’ll be brave. Thank you.
Hey, ErinB,
“Never doubt yourself”
It’s VERY tough! I feel totally insecure. Totally.
I can be protective of my kid, and mother her, but I still am learning how to care for me and be there for me as a comfort.
Baby steps.
Hi Oxy,
You said “You didn’t have ANYTHING worthwhile when you were with the psychopath”
I love your toughenss and also your warmth, Oxy. But, sorry, you don’t get to define what I did or didn’t have. You are not me, and you didn’t live my 21 years of marriage.
I had MANY things that were worthwhile, and that’s what breaks my heart now.
He was loyal and kept his word from the day I met him–called long distance for months, wrote, returned to my country to meet my parents. I did find security and a family with him.
He was a devoted, loving dad to our daughter. Ran out to get me a rocking chair so I’d nurse her easily.
Stayed with me in hospital after she was born. Ran out to pick up prescriptions and cook nice meals if I was sick.
Worked to provide for family, and supported my education efforts, and starting a career, and later my whim to become a yoga teacher.
Was amazed at how I can fold laundry neatly, esp. fitted sheets.
Was amazed at how I can judge the size container to fit leftovers.
Tirelessly worked to fix up the home; shop for food; cook; clean.
Made me laugh, a lot.
Played goofy games with the family dog and brushed him, and cared for him if he was ever sick.
Admired my mind and literary knowledge, always amazed by it.
Humored my hobbies even if they didnt interest him, like dancing.
Never in a million years would dream of being unfaithful.
Gave me gold necklaces with a different heart shape pendant each anniversary.
Yes, I am getting divorced. The good things worked for a long time as they were. When I changed, he couldn’t change WITH me. That became a problem because I wanted something different, and it was impossible to un-do the unequal dynamic we made.
As much as i know you mean well always, I can’t support your characterizing this difficult former husband of mine as a monster.